http://www.marinij.com/opinion/ci_8667447

03/23/2008. IT IS LONG past time that we started taking bold steps and making serious progress in preventing global warming from imperiling the planet. Not only must we start the transition to a fossil-free energy future, but we can create jobs, bolster the economy and improve society in the process.

With its educated citizenry, wealth and strong environmental consciousness, Marin should be leading the charge! Marin should be much more of a leader in green technologies and renewable energy. For example, why aren't we seeing solar panels being installed on many of our public buildings, and thousands of homes, stores and business? Hybrids in our municipal and public fleets, like sheriff and police cars? Fortunately, things are starting to happen, and there are several steps we in Marin can make this year to begin the move to reduce and ultimately phase out fossil fuel combustion.

- Community Choice Energy: Under the visionary leadership of Supervisor Charles McGlashan, Marin could become one of the first counties in the western United States to fully implement a Community Choice Energy program. This will help clean up our energy supply, provide important local control and insure against future rate shocks. Under Community Choice Energy, the county, together with Marin cities, will contract with licensed service providers to procure wholesale power and sell it to customers who participate. The plan calls for 25-percent renewable power immediately, 51 percent in less than five years, and to those of us "deep green" ratepayers, who opt to pay a bit more, 100 percent renewable power. We should be encouraging all of our city fathers, and mothers-councilpersons and mayors to speak up in favor of this progressive idea and adopt the Community Choice Energy plan, which will have a huge positive impact over time.

- Net energy metering: Assemblyman Jared Huffman has introduced AB 1920, which will require utilities to purchase all locally produced renewable power at a fair wholesale price. Homeowners, business or others who install solar panels, wind turbines or other technology to produce renewable energy will be paid by their local utility for any energy they produce in excess of their use. Germany has an effective net metering system and it has become the world's leader in solar technology and production.

In California, even under Gov. Schwarzenegger's "million solar roof" program, incentives are serious lacking. When I had my house measured for solar panels, I was informed I had room to install a fairly big 5 kilowatthour system. After showing the contractor my recent PG&E bills - only $30 to $50 per month of electricity use - I was told I could not build more than 1 to 1.5 kwh. I explained that I would be willing to give back any excess energy generated, but that didn't matter - that's a given.

Under the current system, with solar panels, you can roll your meter back to zero, but energy produced above that net neutral level is fed back into the grid for free. Worse yet, they won't even approve a permit for a system that will over-produce energy. I explained I was on the waiting list to have my Prius converted to a plug-in hybrid, which could triple my electric bill, but let me commute to San Francisco without ever buying gas. The response was "OK, and after you have three months of PG&E bills, we can apply for a 3-kwh system for your roof."

Huffman's bill will help change that and create demand for solar photovoltaic installations around Marin and the state. We must spread the word so it can be passed and signed into law this year.

- Get behind SMART: Voters will have another chance to approve Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit's commuter rail system. It's long overdue. The tracks and right of way are there. No, it's not perfect and, yes, there are several reasons, some environmental, to be skeptical. But doing nothing until we develop a perfect plan will get us nowhere, and is unacceptable.

SMART needs improvement and refinement, but we need to start somewhere, and now. It will provide a public transportation option for many to getting into their single-occupancy automobiles. A passenger rail system can't help but make a dent in our daily traffic nightmare. It's crucial that we offer a visible alternative to driving on Highway 101, and getting SMART built will have a major impact in reducing the carbon footprint of the region.

Mill Valley attorney Larry Fahn is executive director of As You Sow (www.asyousow.org) a San Francisco nonprofit working on corporate social responsibility issues. A longtime environmental activist at the local, state and national levels, he recently served two terms as the 50th national president of the Sierra Club.

Edited by David Room